Over recent years, Glasgow Airport saw a huge increase in drop-off charges. And this February, charges increased to £7 (an increase of £1) for a 15-minute stay. What is more, Glasgow Airport is one of many to face sharp increases: Edinburgh Airport saw an increase of £2.5 to £8.50, and London City, Leeds Bradford and Bournemouth were no exception. Plus, at Glasgow Airport, visitors have to pay £1 for every extra minute after the initial 15 minutes is over.
As a result, the Department for Transport has agreed to review the drop-off charges at Glasgow Airport and others, hoping to reach a fair resolution.
Rod Dennis, senior policy officer at the RAC, told the BBC: “We know airport drop-off charges are a growing source of anger and frustration.
“Four in five drivers we’ve surveyed believe they are a ‘rip-off’, with just one-in-10 understanding why airports charge what they do.”
Karen Dee, chief executive of Airports UK, said: “Airports outside the UK are typically publicly owned and in receipt of state subsidies and tax exemptions, while UK airports are generally privately owned and subject to the full array of commercial rates of taxation.”
She added that airports offer a “range of options for those travelling to terminals, including free drop-off points” and that “any review” by the government would find airports make “excellent use of a variety of ways to manage traffic and air pollution”.
